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My personal solution to the paradox (ca. 1975): Emigrate to the USA! My advice to those with the "get up and go": GET UP and GO! Don't wear yourselves out struggling against the archaic UK social system .... Leave that to Mrs. Bucket (Oops! Bouquet).

Posted by Mike Linacre at November 17, 2005 3:19 PM

A year ago, I attended a discussion at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford with the title "Silicon Valley comes to Oxford". The discussion sought to identify how to transplant the entrepreneurial spirit present in the US to the UK.
A crucial element present in the US and missing in the UK is the acceptance of failure. The serial entrepreneurs of the Valley were heralded as an example; if at first you don't succeed, try again (and apply what you learned). This acceptance is not only cultural, it also needs to be reflected in legislation, e.g. concerning bankruptcies.

Posted by Lars Plougmann at November 18, 2005 3:08 AM

Great post Richard - hope you are well and enjoyed the Birmingham experience

Hi Lars Hi Mike – You are right of course – I am English through and through and very proud of that fact. However I’ll drink to more and more mistakes in our business world in the UK. I just love the TP quote – ‘celebrate glorious failures – punish mediocre successes.’ The UK 'psychi' is conservative and yes of course we need to see more acceptance of failure in our UK culture.

I fully accept the UK might need to ‘loosen up’ a little but we do have lovely countryside; great (and real) beer; Manchester United; The Kinks; and of course Morris Dancing :-)

Seriously Richard - On the subject of encouraging budding entrepaneuers I hope we are going to teach these same youngsters about simplicity in management.

The more management jargon I read the more I realise what utter crap that language actually is to be perfectly frank. (Next time I will be less diplomatic)

In my humble opinion the world needs simplicity more now than at any other time in our development. We have the fantastic technology to make the world of communication potentially much more straightforward. Then there just might be a chance 95% of us UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE rather than the current situation where 5% (and that is probably an over estimate) understand it.

I suspect however we will continue to baffle people with bullshit despite the potential for simplicity. I will continue my campaign for simplicity needless to say.

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 18, 2005 7:03 AM

Mike, your dead right.
When, just when are these people going to understand that "creativity and innovation" is a culture. Its a business culture, a social culture, a society culture..... a life style, our way of life (and the "UK" is an eternity away from this). And NOT something that appears on an agenda for discussion - I mean for gods sake.

Posted by Caig Jones at November 18, 2005 7:15 AM

Trevor - how does one balance the simplicity value with the need for incredible abundance and diversity of finance and ideas needed these days as the new century becomes more internationally complex and diverse?

In other words "simple" should be balanced with other values like: beauty, wealth, health, creativity, orderliness, abundance. Just a thought because if "simple" is the priority value it may be limiting one in maximizing potential and especially financial abundance.

The racism of black African Muslims against French non-blacks is an example - seems simple - but complex to mitigate.

Posted by Sean at November 18, 2005 10:51 AM

Hi Sean

‘Simplicity’ should not be confused with ‘simple’. I advocate simplicity in language more than anything else. There is no doubt in my mind that more effort and therefore time and cost goes into making things complicated that are actually straightforward. All professions do it whether we talk about plumbers, actors, hairdressers doctors or lawyers. We all know it is true. It is protectionism - lets be honest about this. We are all adults here!

Why can’t things be kept nice and easy? –why does it have to be complex?

The basics and the fundamentals are still straightforward despite the supposed ‘new world’ we now live in. As you put it 'as the new century becomes more internationally complex and diverse?'

If you give good service to your customer and care for them you will be successful. If you treat your staff well and care for them, they will look after you. If you write things down in a way people can understand you will be understood. Now what is difficult about that? My gripe is with professionals who want to put their own words out of the reach of ordinary people. The blessing of the web and Google is that we can now all find out the truth about things that we previously considered the sole province of the supposed ‘expert.’ The myth is exposed methinks!!!

Phew I feel so much better after that Friday afternoon rant :-)

I guess I don't really expect people to agree with me - after all it is far too simplistic (NOT!!)

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 18, 2005 11:25 AM

Thanks Trevor - that is an essence of it to me too - the lawyers, insurers, doctors, tax accountants, real estate agents, et al are due for a radical redefining of the "professionalism" needed from them.

The USA tends to protect too many special interests via the political process - which needlessly makes free enterprise far too complex and costly. The EU has a similar dilemma complicated by socialism that tends to stiffle free enterprise. A Friday mini-rant as we head into the Holiday spend-spend-consume season! :>}

Posted by Sean at November 18, 2005 11:52 AM

Mike Linacre: Ever notice the titles of the books Onslo is reading in bed? Cracks me up!

Trevor: Does the beer lead to the Morris Dancing or is it the other way 'round?

Yes, BIG difference between simple and simplistic. The right person with the right tools and attitude can teach even the most arcane and difficult subjects to just about anyone--and they will understand it.

Back to the thread--I'm not all that sure the spirit of the entrepreneur is as common here in the US as you may think. I see many, many, many people in my work who are living with dull, "cow eyes" because they have no ambition or maybe are too scared of life to give it a real try. Many people are looking for security rather than challenge--and are becoming more and more frustrated by our new world order of rapidly changing chaos. I guess things are different from the outside looking in.

Posted by Mike at November 18, 2005 11:57 AM

Thanks for that Sean - isn’t it nice to rant :-) - almost as good as a 5 Km run.

Mike - the Morris dancing ALWAYS follows the beer - no sane person would do that before a drink.

I am pleased to hear you say Mike that ‘all that glitters is not gold’ in the States. I am not qualified to comment but it sounds like there are some folks even in your land of the free and plenty who are actually like us backward thinking risk avoiders here in the UK. The truth of course is there are plenty of people prepared to take risks in the UK - it is usually their bosses that prevent it. The risk takers then get out and move to somewhere where they can take those risks and stand or fall by their own actions. Mike Linacre obviously felt the way to do that was to move to the States and good luck to you Mike - I admire your ambition. I still feel we can release the spirit within the boundaries of the UK - not all the ideas and people from the UK are risk averse...Richard Branson and Anita Roddick - they both stayed here and rattled the cage from within.

Thanks for your honesty Mike about the US - and there was me thinking all you guys over the pond were real risk takers and real entrepreneurs … :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 18, 2005 12:16 PM

May I add my "two pennyworth".

Despite it being National Enterprise Week I would challenge the belief that any of these initiatives promote "entrepreneurism". Too often they are promoted and run by individuals who wouldn't recognise a business if they fell over one.

Yes, we do need a more accepting attitude to failure (I speak from personal experience) but let's not faff about (English term meaning "messing about" - in USA read as piss about!) with complaints about our social system.

If more people in the UK got off their a®sses and got on with it and really worked and if there was less interference from the public sector then we may just achieve something.

This week in Kendal (where my business is based) there was a seminar for new businesses. It was run by a bank and a government agency! For ****'s sake where the hell was the sense of urgency, energy, enthusiasm and passion going to appear from in that room.

Let's can conservatism (with a small c) and promote passion.

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BTW I'm a chartered accountant (USA = CPA). So that will surprise.

Posted by Stuart Jones at November 18, 2005 1:04 PM

Brilliant Stuart - you and me against the world my friend :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at November 18, 2005 1:20 PM

It may be National Enterprise in the UK but I don't notice it fairly reflected in here: Where are women in all this?.

real cheap viagra Posted by Omara at November 19, 2005 12:33 AM

Stuart is absolutely right in talking about entrepreneurs in the UK. Earlier this year the business that I started in 1998 failed. But I've picked myself up and most importantly learnt a lot. I even, against the advice of some friends and colleagues, did an interview for Real Business magazine about the experience. You can read it and others at http://www.realbusiness.co.uk - under past issues October.

Posted by Stuart Bruce, PR Consultant at November 19, 2005 6:32 AM

Omara - women are on top it seems more and more.

How about focused training for the baby boomers?

Harnass that talent in a focused way to guide us well into the new century - a century of service I say!

The Eamonn Kelly [new cool interview] book is quite futuristic and a fun read - the networks, alliances and deals nations and individuals make for future success is fascinating.

Posted by Sean at November 20, 2005 10:51 AM

Interesting post that reminds me when I graduated in 1998 with an MA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. What I found was that the presentations and reports that followed the 'standard' format were well received and easily valuated, whereas my attempts to expand beyond the 'usual-run-of-the-mill' presentations were met with a 'maybe you should use the tried and tested method'. Let's hope that the idea of innovation and entrepreneurship has evolved since then.

Posted by Phil P at November 22, 2005 9:51 AM online ordering viagra australia

Just when I was looking to wrap this up, another stark example leaps out of my breakfast TV. Guess what? Kids these days are using the internet to "cheat" with their continually assessed course work! What next? Managers will be using the net to swipe other people's ideas and get ahead by cheating in the same way! It's just not cricket.

Posted by richard King at November 23, 2005 12:32 PM